In this final part of our conversation with sound designer Cheryl Ottenritter, we discuss how to take your next steps as a freelancer.
The freelancer’s life can be tough, as the uncertainty of going from job to job can soon become a bit of a hamster wheel. However, as you gain experience and start collecting a number of regular clients, maintaining a healthy and long-lasting relationship with them soon becomes more important that landing particular individual jobs.
We touch on the importance of having a network of trusted friends and colleagues who you can send in your stead when you are sick or double-booked. It often happens that freelancers covet their work, and are afraid to allow other people in. However, by recruiting the help of collaborative partners, not only are you expanding your potential amount of work, you are also making sure your client base is being properly looked after.
Of course, this maintaining of relationships may in some cases mean making small sacrifices – such as discounts under certain circumstances – for the sake of cultivating the path to more work in the future. As Cheryl says, it is important to set the ground rules early on to guarantee a happy client relationship.
Cheryl also tells us about her future plans for her audio post shop Ott House Audio, and how she plans on doing more work with 360 audio and Dolby Atmos.
It has been a fascinating talk with Cheryl Ottenritter, and we hope to see her again very soon on cinema5D ON THE GO!
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Watch previous episodes of ON THE GO (& On the Couch) by clicking here. Visit our Vimeo and YouTube playlists, and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes!

In this part of our conversation with Cheryl Ottenritter, we talk about the audio side of the recent explosion in 360 and VR content creation.
360 and VR video have really become buzzwords in recent years. A wide variety of image capturing devices and a multitude of available platforms have resulted in a very fertile environment for immersive content creators to experiment in productions of all types and sizes. This is a revolution that has not only affected the way we shoot video, but also how we capture audio.
Cheryl explains the difference between VR and 360 formats, and the different methods and tools used to approach each type. However, this kind of content creation is just in its infancy. The rules, standards and uses are not defined yet and, as Cheryl puts it, “its a bit of a wild west out there”.
We also talk about audio working on the go, and how the available technology has made it possible for creatives such as editors or indeed mixing engineers to work on the road from a laptop – to the point where being away from the studio or editing suite is no longer an excuse for clients!
This ease of access to powerful technology also brings up the conversation about a saturated market of professionals, and how at a certain point its not about the skills involved in using a certain tool, but more about the person’s own talent. On the other hand, this democratisation causes the infamous “race to the bottom”, where new professionals offer their services at often far too competitive rates, bringing down the standards of the industry as a whole.
We also touch on the issue of the proportion of men to women working in our industry. Cheryl gives us her opinion about the causes, and what she does to try and even the playing field.
Whatever your situation may be, chances are that you are having a hard time getting into the industry. So what about working for free? As somebody who it took three years to get her first paid gig, Cheryl Ottenritter gives us her thoughts on unpaid internships, and why she’s against them.
Stay tuned for the last part of our conversation with Cheryl Ottenritter, where we discuss tips for working as a freelancer!
Please visit our sponsors’ websites to keep new episodes of ON THE GO coming!
TILTABlackmagic DesignManfrottoOlympus
Watch previous episodes of ON THE GO (& On the Couch) by clicking here. Visit our Vimeo and YouTube playlists, and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes!

In this episode of cinema5D ON THE GO we talk to sound designer & re-recording mixer Cheryl Ottenritter about all things audio!
Ah, audio… Although many would think that good filmmaking is primarily down to the images, the truth is that this is in fact an audiovisual medium – and note that the “audio” comes before the “visual”. You are a lot more likely to forgive footage that’s a little shaky or a little noisy and chalk it up to style. Dodgy audio, though? That’s bound to sitck out like a sore thumb.
For this reason, every shooter needs at least a basic understanding of audio, especially those of you multitasking in small or one-person productions. But what about post? While many out there are capable of adequately placing a lav, booming a shotgun or even decent gain staging, it is when sitting down after the edit is picture-locked that a multi-tasker’s sound skills are often exhausted. This is when you want to get your film over to someone like Cheryl.
Cheryl Ottenritter is a sound engineer and re-recording mixer with over 20 years of experience in the industry. She runs Ott Haus Audio, a sound post studio in Silver Spring, Maryland, where her day-to-day work includes anything from mixing indie films, scripted television, radio spots or sound work for museums. We caught up with her at NAB 2017, where she was giving a number of talks and panels on topics such as audio for editing in Premiere, 360 VR audio, and narration.
She also tells us about the latest groundbreaking tools and techniques that have revolutionised the audio work in recent times, such as the latest version of the noise–reduction software Isotope RX.
While you may be familiar with the capabilities of the latest and greatest cameras, gimbals and NLEs, hearing about the most recent advancements in the audio world certainly is food for thought!
Stay tuned for the next part of our convertible ride with Cheryl, where she tells us about how the advent of 360 video and VR has impacted her work in audio.
Please visit our sponsors’ websites to keep new episodes of ON THE GO coming!
TILTABlackmagic DesignManfrottoOlympus
Watch previous episodes of ON THE GO (& On the Couch) by clicking here. Visit our Vimeo and YouTube playlists, and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes!